The Adoption Advocate is a publication created by NCFA to educate policymakers, families, child welfare specialists, and other interested parties on today's most relevant child welfare and adoption issues. This publication is edited by Christie Renick, Chuck Johnson, and Megan Lestino. You can sign up to receive the Adoption Advocate by email each month by signing up for our email list.

Posted December 1, 2016

Supporting Families Waiting to Adopt

Authored By: Kimberly Harrell

The wait can be difficult for many individuals and families hoping to adopt. In the December 2016 issue of NCFA's Adoption Advocate, Kimberly Harrell emphasizes the responsibility of adoption professionals to support those who are waiting, understand the journey they are on, and provide opportunities for education, connectedness, and empowerment as they wait to grow their families through adoption.

Posted November 1, 2016

A Call for a More Ethical and Professional Adoption Practice

Authored By: Chuck Johnson

Despite validation through research and the millions of successful outcomes for children and families, adoption is currently on the decline, due in part to allegations of corruption, disrupted placements, and a lack of support for birth parents, adopted persons, and adoptive families. In the November 2016 issue of the Adoption Advocate, NCFA president and CEO Chuck Johnson leads a frank discussion about essential reforms in practice that will allow adoption professionals to better serve the long-term needs of all those touched by adoption.

Posted October 1, 2016

The Risks of Simultaneous Multiple Placements in Intercountry Adoption Practice

Authored By: Penny Collins, LMSW

Adoption agencies are increasingly met with requests from families wanting to adopt more than one child at a time. This article seeks to examine the ethics, risks, and implications of multiple simultaneous adoptions, as well as suggested best practices in this area.

Posted September 1, 2016

Helping to Make More Schools “Adoption-Friendly”

Authored By: Joi Wasill

Despite a culture generally supportive of adoption and decades of research validating its outcomes, education and awareness about adoption is still lacking in many classrooms. In the September 2016 "back to school" issue of NCFA's Adoption Advocate, Joi Wasill discusses how more widespread, comprehensive adoption education in schools can help promote the wellbeing of adopted youth and encourage understanding and support for young women considering adoption plans.

Posted August 1, 2016

Adoption Camps: A Primer for Families

Authored By: Erin Bayles and Sarah Alger

A variety of adoption-focused camps throughout the country aim to help adopted children learn more about their birth country and culture, encourage family bonding and attachment, and connect with individuals who have similar stories and experiences. In the August 2016 issue of NCFA's Adoption Advocate, co-authors Erin Bayles and Sarah Alger provide an overview and list resources for adoptive families interested in learning more about what these adoption camps have to offer.

Posted July 1, 2016

Child Placement Best Practices to Support Permanency and Preservation Across the Continuum

Authored By: Debbie Wynne

In the July 2016 issue of NCFA's Adoption Advocate, author Debbie Wynne outlines some of the best practices for effective and ethical child placement, which professionals can apply across the continuum of care from family preservation and family reunification to kinship/foster care and adoption placement.

Posted June 1, 2016

Authored By: Rachel Shaw

In the June 2016 issue of NCFA's Adoption Advocate, NCFA 2015-16 Social Work Fellow Rachel Shaw takes a look at the rights of biological fathers in adoption, explains how existing putative father registries function, and provides best-practice recommendations for involving and supporting fathers whenever possible in the adoption process.

Posted May 1, 2016

Adoption Agencies Serving Children in Foster Care

Authored By: Nicole Spader and Jackie Craig

In the May 2016 issue of NCFA's Adoption Advocate, authors Nicole Spader and Jackie Craig of EVOLVE explain how private adoption agencies can transition to providing foster care/adoption services that support permanency and stability for children within their own communities.

Posted April 1, 2016

Multiple Citizenship in Adoption: An Introduction

Authored By: Kaylee Walsh

Those working in adoption often face questions about dual or multiple citizenship from prospective adoptive parents and adopted adolescents and adults, who want to know how the internationally adopted person will attain U.S. citizenship, if they will have two passports, or if being a citizen of their birth country will affect their U.S. citizenship. This article by NCFA legal fellow Kaylee Walsh provides an introduction to these and other issues regarding multi-citizenship in intercountry adoption.

Posted March 1, 2016

Post-Adoption Services: Acknowledging and Dealing with Loss

Authored By: Nancy Randall, Psy.D. and Kim Shepardson Watson, LCSW

Loss is part of adoption, no matter how joyful the outcome for many families. In the March 2016 issue of NCFA's Adoption Advocate, Nancy Randall, Psy.D. and Kim Shepardson Watson, LCSW discuss the ways in which loss can impact adopted children and their families, and how this real and often overlooked aspect of adoption can be both acknowledged and addressed.